A CRITICAL BOOK REVIEW OF GETTING TO KNOW THE CHURCH FATHERS: AN EVANGELICAL INTRODUCTION BY BRYAN M.

LITFIN

Introduction Getting to Know the Church Fathers: An Evangelical Introduction. by Bryan M. Litfin. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2007, 304pp. $23.99 Paperback

Bryan Litfin (PhD, University of Virginia) is an associate professor of theology at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois. In his book Getting to Know the Church Fathers: An Evangelical Introduction, he has embarked on a greatly needed mission to encourage Evangelical Christians to studying the early church fathers (patristics). Litfin has written a beneficial yet easy-to-read introduction to introduce ten popular church fathers. It is clear and purposely designed to grip and captivate readers to pursue a deeper study of their spiritual ancestors. His desire is that Christians would come to a better knowledge of the details of their church fathers. Litfin presents detailed testimonies about the lives and works of each of these church fathers. They will provide a better understanding of modern doctrines and encourage modern believers to appreciate and follow the determination, boldness, and faith of their spiritual ancestors. Connection to a Spiritual Ancestral Tree Litfin's introduction begins with an illustration of a boy named Billy who grows up with the typical loving grandmother. She is largely involved in his youth pouring her time and love into him. However, after her death, during his adult years, he realizes that he knows "of" her but lacks a personal knowledge of her interests, details, and accomplishments of her life; "who" she really is other than simply his grandmother. While searching through her belongings he finds family heirlooms and memorabilia that tell her life story. One filled with details and interests to

which Billy longs to know about. He eventually realizes her past is a part of himself. Litfin applies this illustration to Evangelical Christians who know "of" their past church fathers but are severely lacking in the personal and valuable details of them. Litfin proposes that when Christians begin to dig into their spiritual ancestor's family tree they find that, "Despite our indifference to their world, we are inextricably bound to the church fathers" (p. 14). When a Christian understands that the church fathers are spiritually related, they tend to desire to look more closely at the details of their lives. In addition, when they learn that their spiritual ancestors courageously faced heavy opposition and many were even martyred, this compels them to respond boldly in the midst of their own culture. Litfin writes, "The fathers are a previous generation of believers who continue to guide their spiritual descendants in the Christian church today" (p. 17). He also quotes scriptural passages that support the benefits of treasuring the past spiritual fathers, such as Deuteronomy 32:7, "Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations; ask your father, and he will show you, your elders and they will tell you" (p. 19). Widespread Misconceptions Before launching into the depths of each of the ten church fathers, Litfin lays out three common misconceptions that most Evangelical Christians assume about their church fathers. Although I do seek to remain objective in my critical review of this book, I must admit that I did believe each of these three misconceptions. The misconceptions are as follows: the church fathers were not biblical, the church fathers were Roman Catholics, and the church fathers represent the "fall" of Christianity (pp. 20-28). This is one section that I wish Litfin had spent more time explaining in more detail.

Touching on the first of these, the church fathers were not biblical, Litfin explains, in this section and also throughout the book that the church fathers were scriptural. Their writing was often laced with quotes of biblical scripture and their high view of God's word. In the second misconception, the church fathers were Roman Catholics, this is also a mistaken belief as Litfin explains, "if we read our later concept of "Roman Catholic" back onto the church fathers." (p. 22). Lastly, the church fathers represent the "fall" of Christianity, this too is an error, and a common one ignorantly passed on. As he states, "It seems there is a certain historiography (or a way of viewing history) subtly being transmitted among many evangelicals today." (p. 24). It is these misconceptions, according to Litfin, that "robs contemporary believers of vast portions of their historical legacy. It is my desire that every Christian be free to embrace his or her continuous heritage in the faith. This means all the centuries of Christian history are your rightful possession. (p. 27). Church Father Contents Litfin's book is written and arranged in a way that devotes one short chapter per church father. He has arranged these chapters as such: Ignatius of Antioch (p. 31), Justin Martyr (p. 53), Irenaeus of Lyons (p. 75), Tertullian (p. 97), Perpetua (p. 119), Origen (p. 141), Athanasius (p. 165), John Chrysostom (p. 189), Augustine (p. 213), and Cyril of Alexandria (p. 239). It appears that Litfin has chosen this form to present the church fathers to the reader in a chronological fashion possibly by the date of their deaths (since Perpetua's date of birth is unknown). Since I favor dates and chronology this lay out worked well for me. Each church father introduction begins with an illustration of a story or a scene, as an attention gainer, which captivates the reader to want to move on further into the details. One

example is the account of the "Little Dutch Boy" who discovered a leak in the dike. He used his finger to plug the hole and, in turn, save the residents of Haarlem. Litfin uses this attention gainer to tie the concept of boldness and bravery to Athanasius who suffered a great deal of opposition. Athanasius suffered through five exiles for the sake of the doctrine of the deity of Jesus Christ, which eventually came to be the prevailing view in opposition to Arianism. Litfin does an exceptional job in explaining the preeminent details of each church father in a clear and comprehensible style. He also highlights the backgrounds, roles, characteristics, and accomplishments of each individual while giving an honest picture of both their strengths and their weaknesses and failures. He closes each chapter with sections that he labels Provocative Questions, which challenges the reader to ask five questions that force further thought and personal reflection. Litfin also supplies suggestions of further resources, which the reader can use to continue a more in-depth study of the church father, should they choose to do so. Lastly, he provides the reader with a sample or, as he calls it, "A Taste" of literature from a selected work of the church father. Conclusion Litfin's Getting to Know the Church Fathers: An Evangelical Introduction, is a beneficial yet easy to read introduction to the early church fathers. It is easy to read and purposely designed to grasp and captivate the reader to pursue a deeper study of their spiritual ancestors. Litfin ensures that a better understanding and respect for the earliest generation of believers will continue to guide modern Evangelical Christians in the church today. All generations and centuries of Christians "are your rightful possession."

Bibliography Litfin, Bryan M. Getting to Know the Church Fathers: an Evangelical Introduction. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Brazos Press, 2007.